Toluca Coal Mine Park, Toluca, IL
Posted by: 
KG1960
N 40° 59.970 W 089° 08.052
16T E 320503 N 4540895
A city park that was once the slag heaps from an old coal mine.
Waymark Code: WM154V
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 01/18/2007
Views: 86
This park was the site of the Devlin Coal Company where the coal production peaked in 1905 and ended in 1924 with the closure of the mine. All that remained of the mine were two slag plies. This area including the slag piles was made into a city park offering picnicking, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities. There is a viewing platform on top of one of the slag piles.
If you like watching trains, this park is a good place. It offers a clear view of the BNSF RR mainline (formerly the Santa Fe RR).
There really are no signs with the name of this park except for the Illinois Historical Marker and street signs showing the way to the park. When arriving in Toluca, follow the signs, "Toluca Coal Mine Jumbo." It is located on the south side of the railroad tracks.
In 1893 the Santa Fe Railroad authorized Charles Devlin, their manager of mining properties, to purchase the mineral rights here to 11,000 acres. The Devlin Coal Company sank two shafts and began producing coal using the longwall method, extracting coal from a seam as work progressed along a continuous working face. At its peak in 1905, 771 workers produced 379,000 tons of coal.
The mine attracted hundreds of immigrants, especially Italians. Toluca boomed until the mine closed in 1924, unable to compete with mines that produced coal at greater efficiency. These two slag heaps, “The Jumbos,” are memorials to the region’s coal industry and its workers.
The slag heaps were climbed by children until constant erosion made them unsafe. An agreement between the City Council of Toluca and the Ill Department of Natural Resources promoted the repair and restoration of the Jumbos, and now they are part of a city park.
Name: Toluca Coal Mine Park
Street Location: Bennington Street
Local Municipality: Toluca
State/Province, etc.: Illinois
Country: U.S.
Web Site: [Web Link]
Memorial/Commemoration: The region's coal miners
Picnic Facilities: tables
Recreational Facilities:
Hiking trails
Picnic
Viewing platform on top of hill
Monuments/Statues: Illinois Historical Marker, "Toluca Coal Mine"
Traditional Geocaches:
The Jumbo, GCP0F1
Date Established: Not listed
Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed
Fountains: Not listed
Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: Not listed
Special Events: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
One photo of the park that is a different view from the one on the page, and give the date and description your visit.
Add any additional information that you may have about this park. A GPSr photo is NOT required.